My dream café, @tropicalfoxtrot and I were discussing, although playfully about opening out own café as we are both coffee addicts. And this got be thingking again about what for me would constute the ideal café. So if anyone out there who loves we is planning to open a café and loves me, then here is a quick guide on how to impress me.
Cheap: yeah, I want there to be the cheapest of the cheap options. I’m not saying I wouldn’t buy anything more expensive, but if you offer a cheap driplator coffee for like a dollar a cup. I will proberply frequent your shop everyday. Snaacks and meals that are closer to what you would hake at home, cheese and vegemite on wholemeal does not cost $5 and I will not pay $5 for it.
Wifi: internet access is one of my necessaries, being able to sit and type away online or peruse the finest drivel the internet has to offer sums up a good experience. Make it cheap or for example free, but only if you buy 5 cups of coffee
Get to know me: I announce my thoughts to the world both online and off, im sure we will be the best of friends. Learn my name and learn my intrests, my visits are more likely to be longer and I’ll buy more. But also (unless your full to bursting) let me hang around either alone or with my friends without pressuring me to buy. (though if you have really cheap coffee then I will most likely be constantly buying :D)
Keep it cool: make yopur décor sturdy and stylish. Don’t just go for a simple tables and chairs set-up. Try big communal tables and private booths too, make youre cafe a social hub. Be open long hours, preferably 24/7 and make the atomoshere at all hour, safe and inviting. I have to request a tech/steam punk orantaed design, with keyboards on the walls and maybe the odd typewriter in the center of a table
Make it individual: and support my individuality, give me a discount on my coffee if I bring my own mug, give your different types of coffee cool names, this one place I passed named each style of coffee ranging from decaf (still asleep) to strong hard blend (start my heart) I think a lot of people would try even the worst coffee if it has a cute and catchy name, make it feel like a secret society.
Reward me: if I frequent your establishment everyday for hours at a time and buy a few litres of coffee and a dozen sandwiches. Reward me, more coffee is one way. But be creative, you could get t-shirts made or badges that announce my loyalty, they also advertise your café so you win too. Put specials on sites such as foursquare, like the mayor gets free coffee, aqgain, its more advertising and it starts up a competition between friends over who can visit and purchase stuff the most often.
Support your customers endevors: have a notice board and space for your customers to exibit art, it will liven the place up and encourage your cutomers to tell people to visit your esablisment to check out there art. A notice board will show customers that you care for them by giving a place to place there ads. They might stick around a bit longer and buy a sandwich to say thank you for helping them find a new roomie.
Location: now this request is purely selfish and just for me, but it does have some benefits to you. First up, please make your store in melbopurne, this is where I live and plan to live for the next half decade, if you do make your café in Melbourne please make it in Hawthorne around Swinburne uni or the CBD along Swanston or Elizabeth street. If you mangage to do this you will get a fair bit of traffic from students from nearby unis. I’d just look for the closest sudent accommodation and build near that, if your open 24/7 and make a decent hangover cure (although I don’t drink) all the better for your wallet.
So I think that just about sums my wants in a café, if you have any more suggestions please post in the comments section below.
Showing posts with label Food Critique. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food Critique. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Noodle Kingdom
I'm sitting right now at the most eye catching and popular eating spots in Preston although one, I admit, I do not frequent enough. and that would be Noodle Kingdom in Preston after a long afternoon of sitting in the library and trying to write (and I admit failing dismally and resorting to reading a 2 year old, torn copy of girlfriend magazine that was mildly entertain with side servings of offensive) as the library shut I realised that I should probably eat something, as I was really really hungry. So Noodle Kingdom popped into my head, and now greatufully into my belly.
Noodle kingdom, as the title suggests is an Asian restaurant specialising in noodles and dumplings. That has become popular for just that. and a few other things, the reason why it seemed most attractive to me and my rumbling belly was the meal size, for 8.50 I got a massive bowl of pork dumplings, noodles and chinse broccoli in a delicious broth. Om nom nom, that is great for my tummy, tastebuds and wallet. For students out there who can only afford to eat every couple of days but eating migorang instant noodles are starting to adversely affect your health, the I would highly recommend it.
The drinks are not bad either, but they seem to be on the more expensive side and they don’t offer coconut juice. I thought that was a bit odd.
But this place is not just for the desperately hungry who are desperately poor. Noodle Kingdom has gotten some really good write ups from some harsh critics, although I do not remember any names as this place opened a fair while ago now, and was reviewed a while back too. So, if you love your noodles... and especially dumplings or know someone who does, I would highly recommend noodle kingdom.
I must say, as many others have said before me, the customer service is a bit of a mess. They seat you as fast as possible, take your order as fast as possible and ignore you as much as possible. They do all of the things that i was taught not to do when I was a waitress. But they haven’t tried to shoo me out as of yet, and they seem quite laid back, Although this is mid-afternoon on a Saturday and during peak times such as Friday night they have a queue that goes out onto high street, noticeably so.
Overall
Food: 5 stars, the food can't get much better!
Value: 5 stars, So much food... for so little money!
Service: 2 stars, don't even bother asking what they recommend, just pick something before they lose interest.
Presentation
Menu, disorganized and poor English translations, 3 stars
Restaurant, over the top, trying for sophisticated, nothing special, 3 stars
Food, nice and simple plating, tried and tested, 4 stars
FINAL SCORE: 4 stars, lost one star for service and average presentation.
Insider tips:
Don’t be shy, stare down the wait staff, shout out for help. Or you might not even get served
When it is busy, it is busy. Try going there on more offpeak times. (ie. not Friday nights)
On your first few visits, minimum, go with a friend and share one dish, this is honestly how big the servings are.
After a few visits you might find that special dish that you can eat all by yourself, as with many foods, some can be too rich or spicy for your tastes. To use this over use cliché, think of all the starving children, don’t waste food or money by ordering what you can’t eat.
I haven’t seen a single person eat with a fork, I don't even know if they have any,
¬
Noodle kingdom, as the title suggests is an Asian restaurant specialising in noodles and dumplings. That has become popular for just that. and a few other things, the reason why it seemed most attractive to me and my rumbling belly was the meal size, for 8.50 I got a massive bowl of pork dumplings, noodles and chinse broccoli in a delicious broth. Om nom nom, that is great for my tummy, tastebuds and wallet. For students out there who can only afford to eat every couple of days but eating migorang instant noodles are starting to adversely affect your health, the I would highly recommend it.
The drinks are not bad either, but they seem to be on the more expensive side and they don’t offer coconut juice. I thought that was a bit odd.
But this place is not just for the desperately hungry who are desperately poor. Noodle Kingdom has gotten some really good write ups from some harsh critics, although I do not remember any names as this place opened a fair while ago now, and was reviewed a while back too. So, if you love your noodles... and especially dumplings or know someone who does, I would highly recommend noodle kingdom.
I must say, as many others have said before me, the customer service is a bit of a mess. They seat you as fast as possible, take your order as fast as possible and ignore you as much as possible. They do all of the things that i was taught not to do when I was a waitress. But they haven’t tried to shoo me out as of yet, and they seem quite laid back, Although this is mid-afternoon on a Saturday and during peak times such as Friday night they have a queue that goes out onto high street, noticeably so.
Overall
Food: 5 stars, the food can't get much better!
Value: 5 stars, So much food... for so little money!
Service: 2 stars, don't even bother asking what they recommend, just pick something before they lose interest.
Presentation
Menu, disorganized and poor English translations, 3 stars
Restaurant, over the top, trying for sophisticated, nothing special, 3 stars
Food, nice and simple plating, tried and tested, 4 stars
FINAL SCORE: 4 stars, lost one star for service and average presentation.
Insider tips:
Don’t be shy, stare down the wait staff, shout out for help. Or you might not even get served
When it is busy, it is busy. Try going there on more offpeak times. (ie. not Friday nights)
On your first few visits, minimum, go with a friend and share one dish, this is honestly how big the servings are.
After a few visits you might find that special dish that you can eat all by yourself, as with many foods, some can be too rich or spicy for your tastes. To use this over use cliché, think of all the starving children, don’t waste food or money by ordering what you can’t eat.
I haven’t seen a single person eat with a fork, I don't even know if they have any,
¬
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)